Windows 7 beta back online; download links [Ux2]

updated 06:00 pm EST, Sat January 10, 2009

by MacNN Staff

Windows 7 beta postponed

After demand began to slow its website and interfere with other services, Microsoft on Friday pulled the Windows 7 beta and postponed it indefinitely. Citing "very heavy traffic," it removed the download, but did not offer a new schedule for delivering the beta of its newest operating system, according to Macworld UK. The company on Wednesday announced it would provide a public beta of the next-generation Windows operating system, but said that it would cap the number of Windows 7 beta activation keys at 2.5 million; other users will be able to download the beta, but only run the software as a 30-day trial (though many have figured out how to extend the trial to 120 days using the "slmgr -rearm" command that was used for Windows Vista). Update: The official (direct) download links are available (32-bit, 64-bit) and the website is available (but very slow).

"Due to very heavy traffic we're seeing as a result of interest in the Windows 7 Beta, we are adding some additional infrastructure support to Microsoft.com properties before we post the public Beta today," a spokeswoman told Computerworld in response to questions about Microsoft.com's performance. "We want to ensure customers have the best possible experience when downloading the Beta."

Earlier this week, Microsoft confirmed that there would be at least three variants of the Windows 7 operating system, officially introduced last October: one for netbooks, one for consumers, and one for enterprise customers. The company also said it would remove the "sidebar"

I was able to install the Windows 7 Beta in Parallels v.3 on my iMac, but networking would not work. Apparently some people are reporting success with Parallels v.4. On the other hand, VMWare Fusion 2 had no problem getting networking to work.

Windows 7 has a more refined look to it than Windows XP, but infrequent users of Windows may be confused by how Microsoft has moved around many features, making it difficult to find things in their usual place.

Ahh yes... MSFT... Requiring people to use an Active X control to download Windows 7. Wouldn't want anyone on a Mac (or some other crazy non windows machine) to take a look at the new OS. Do they really think that the only people that would want to see the new OS would be those that are already on a Windows machine.

Ahh yes... MSFT... Requiring people to use an Active X control to download Windows 7. Wouldn't want anyone on a Mac (or some other crazy non windows machine) to take a look at the new OS. Do they really think that the only people that would want to see the new OS would be those that are already on a Windows machine.

So far im pretty happy with Windows 7, its what Vista should have been. This should keep Apple on its toes to continue to innovate as well. Still a lot that pisses me off, but I can say im willing to leave XP for it now.

Microsoft desperately need some good PR to expound Windows 7: so by making only so many license keys available they are forcing or trying to force anyone interested in getting away from the disaster that was Vista they hope to be able to report that "X millon downloads of Windows 7 have been downloaded in Y many days!"

Same goes for the server overload. Have these people never heard of EdgeSuite or Akamai? Or do they just acknowledge that Windows Server can't cope with anything resembling a load? Apple delivers larger files to a much larger number of users on a daily basis (movies via iTunes for example) without issue. There is nothing here that MS should be proud of, other than it makes for good PR material if spun correctly.

You don't think that MS wold like to see Mac and Linux users brought back into a declining fold? Nonsense.

You don't think that feedback from all parties involved would be helpful? That OS X and Linux users couldn't provide worthwhile feedback? Again, that sounds like bullshit to me.

Please try to think before you post: feedback from a single Linux/UNIX user would probably be much more worthwhile than a zillion little WinFanBoyz coming back with "Wow, this is so much better than Vista."

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